Steering-propeller.



No. 806,607. PATENTED DEC. 5, 1905.

, G. WESTLE. STEERING PROPBLLBR.

APPLICATION FILED D110. 19. 190 1. I

I 4 HW in either direction.

PATENT orrion.

GEoRGE WESTLE, OF BENDIGO, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

I STEERlNG-PROPELLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Dec. 5, 1905.

Application filed December 19, 1904. Serial No. 237,516.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE WESTLE, a subject of the King of Great Britain and'Ireland,

&c., residing at. Bendigo, in the State of Victoria, Gommonwealth of Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Connected with Steering-Propellers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it-appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide improvements in and connected with steeringpropellers for marine vessels. Upon a revoluble shaft is mounted (after the manner of a-screw-propeller) one or more sets of radial blades, but in such manner that each blade is revoluble axially (its axis being longitudinal) An adjusting-plate, resemb'ling and hereinafter called a sector, which does not turn with the shaft, is provided, having an aperture through which the shaft passes. This sector has projecting camsurfaces and plane surfaces arranged so as to guide and adjust the blades as they revolve, giving them in regular sequence positions hereinafter described. By turning the sector to a different position'on its axis the position of the blades during their revolution is varied at will. By using a number of revoluble shafts, each fitted with my mechanism, and

placing them both at (or near) the front and stern of a vessel steering, circling, and other movements are facilitated.

My invention is not limited as to the precise number, design, or relative position of the parts or the mode of securing them to a vessel or actuating them, as these matters vary according to the case in which the invention is applied.

In the accompanying drawings or diagrams, in which various blade ends are omitted on account of space limits,-Figure 1 shows (in section on line 6, Fig. 2) various parts in ele- I vation. indicating one position of the blades. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1 in section on line 7, one blade and its spoke being thus in part omitted. Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 1 from beneath in section on line 8. Fig. 4 shows in elevation the sector from the side opposite that seen in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the sector in section on line 9, Fig. 4:.

In the views some blades (the number on the boss not being limited to that shown) are edge on to their directionof revolution and predetermined bythe construction, n'ot limited to that illustrated. The pitch of the blade in its oblique position causes propulsion ahead or astern as the shaft is revolved. Steering power is derived chiefly from the full-face thrust of the blades against' the water.

This invention is usable .not only in' deep water, but also in shallow,'and for small pleasure-boats, where the blades dip into and rise 'from the water. It may also be used for vessels of the navy which are to be submerged, raised, or tilted. When the blade full-face thrust is upward, it tends to submerge the vessel; when downward, to raise, and by obvious arrangements of my device tilting is facilitated.

In the drawings herewith,a;shows the'blades. with edges made narrow to out water easily, and 6 their spindles or radial spokes, rigidly aflixed in any suitable manner to a hub m on the shaft it, which extends into the vessel ordinarily. The blades A are slotted radially, as at as, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) and are provided with a transverse Web a (see Figs. 1 and 2,) and into thisaxial slot the'radial spoke or spindle b is mounted, which is journaled near its outer end in the web a and provided with lock-nuts 0, so that the blade may rock laterally about this spindle. The part to the right of line 6 in Fig. 2 is located outside the vessel and the part to the left is inside generally.

The blades have at their bases each a faceted j boss which fits against the hub, the blades projecting in radial positions and having any suitable fastening, as heads 0, at the ends of spokes b, the blades having recesses for the reception of said heads, which in some cases are formed by suitably-fixed nuts. These blade-bosses have each a series of special faces (marked f, h, j, and Z) at right angles to one another in the order stated,and curved or beveled intermediate or connecting faces (marked in order 6 g) at the boss-corners, as will be understood from Fig. 3. The blades have also special surfaces raised where required, as shown by d, on each side, and all of the said surfaces or faces 0Z to Z are (in combination with the sector aforesaid) made use of in turning the blades or in holding them from being further turned at given points.

projecting in its path.

having any suitable support, (not shown,) and 10 its collar or neck, with means (partly indicated by gear-wheel q) for turning the sector to any desired degree, it being then held rigidly by any desired means. (Not shown.) The sector has inclines or curves forming outer guiding or cam surfaces 1' and a and inner inclines or curves forming innercam-surfaces 8 and t,.the surfaces at and 1" being the respective ends of a contact or guiding surface '0 in a plane transverse to shaft n and the surfaces 8 and t the respective ends of a contact or guiding surface m, which is also transverse, as illustrated. The central part w of the sector is depressed, as shown. Surface 11 is longer than at.

The action of the parts will be understood by considering the blades to be revolving, as indicated by arrow 10 in Fig. 1. As they advance the lower blade shown will strike its wiper-surface (Z against the cam-surface i For some distance prior to doing so that blade keeps full face onto its direction of revolution, because of its boss-surface f being in close contact with or wiping the surface m. (See Fig. 3.) The effect of d striking as aforesaid is that the blade is turned obliquely on its axis, and as the part d is wiped farther along the cam 9 the blade continues turning until it has turned ninety degrees round its axis and is edge on, as seen in the blade on. the right in Fig. 3, with face Z fiat upon surface v. The blade in this cut-water position moves round into the position of that shown on the left in Figs. 1 and 3. After this it is turned ninety degrees again, but this time by means of canisurface 6, projecting in the path of face 6. If shaft 11. were being rotated in the opposite direction to arrow 10, then instead .of surfaces 9' and z, turning the blades the projecting surfaces a and 8 would turn them. (Jam-surfaces t and a form a pair, as do also 9 and s, for a further purpose hereinafter stated.

The various positions will be understood by'reference to the drawings. In reference to the lettering of faces 0 to Z it is to be noted that, as illustrated, it requires two revolutions of shaft n to bring any particular face to the same position again. The cam-surfaces t and u have, however, a purpose in conjunction, as also have 1" and s, for while the blade by pressure against surface 9 is being turned obliquely the amount of pitch at any given point is limited by the surface s, which prevents the boss of the blade turning farther at that point. Again, when cam-surface 1? causes the blade to turn the position of surface it limits its obliquity by reason of its then proximity to the part (Z of the blade at any given point. Surface 0- may extend over a smaller arc and '2' and a over longer arcs than as shown, and modifications may also be made in the lengths of the surfaces 8, t, and a: and the distance or gap between surfaces 1' and a next to surface a".

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a steering-propeller, the combination with a propeller-shaft, a hub rigidly mounted thereon, radial spokes secured to said hub and extending substantially the length of the propeller-blade, blades longitudinally slotted to receive said spokes and provided with a web serving as a journal-bearing for said spokes, with lock-nuts mounted in said spokes exterior to said web, said blades being provided with cam facets or lugs, and a double cam-sector mounted concentric with the propeller-shaft and engaging said cam facets or lugs for turning said blades about said spokes as an axis while said hub rotates in either direction, substantially as described.

2. In a steeriug-propellei, the combination with a propeller-shaft, a hub rigidly mounted thereon, radial spokes secured to said hub and extending substantially the length of the propeller-blade, blades longitudinally slotted to receive said spokes, and provided with a web serving as a journal-bearing for said spokes, with lock-nuts mounted in said spokes exterior to said web, said blades being provided with cam facets or lugs, and a double cam-sector mounted concentric with the propeller-shaft and engaging said cam facets or lugs for turning said blades about said spokes as an axis while said hub rotates in either direction, a sleeve secured to said sector and projecting inboard, and means for rotating said sleeve through the desired angle for adjusting said sector, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W ESTLE. \Vitnesses:

G. G. KERRI, B. M. Lows. 

